12/07/2014

Name of the Week

Rosalind is a form of the Old Germanic name Roslindis, derived from hros "horse" and lindi "soft, gentle".

Within the ancient Germanic tribes horses were status symbols, often reserved only for the nobility or for warfare. So revered were they, it was not unheard of for them to bury their horses, or even have their horses placed in state with them.

Over the years, there has been some confusion over Rosalind's etymology.

Firstly, the second element has often been taken to be linde "serpent" rather than lindi "soft, gentle". Some have also connected the first element to the Germanic hrod "fame" (found in Rodney and Roland) rather than hros "horse." Though the 'd' seems less plausible, there may be something in this. Legend records a 6th century Lombard queen named Rodelinda; her name would almost certainly be derived from hrod "fame" and lindi "soft gentle." She was the mother of Alboin who, with his wife Rosamund, was the source of infamous legend. It isn't clear, however, whether there is any connection between Rodelinda and Rosalind.

As the name became Rosalinda in Spain and Italy, it has also been connected with the phrase rosa linda which, quite coincidentally, means "beautiful rose" in both languages.

Usage:

Rosalind was in use in continental Europe in the Middle Ages, though examples are hard to come by. In Britain, one of the first examples of its use in is Edmund Spenser's The Shepheardes Calender, published in 1579, in which the protagonist is in love with "a countrie lasse called Rosalinde" [sic].

A decade later, Thomas Lodge's prose Rosalynde, Euphues Golden Legacie, printed in 1590, became the basis for Shakespeare's play As You Like It (first published in 1623) where one of the principle characters is the fiesty noblewoman Rosalind.

This seems to have been the springboard for the name's use. It was rare at first, but came into more regular use in the 18th century. It was, however, never especially common.

Data from the Surname Atlas (click to enlarge)

Data from the 1881 census (right) show that Rosalind was used especially in Middlesex, Surrey and Kent, with general use centred around Southern England. In total, it was recorded 492 times making it the 1046th most popular name (male and female combined). It was less common than similar Rosalie (584th) and Rosaline (1020th).

The birth registrations for Rosalind gradually increased each decade during the 19th century, but it was never enough to crack into the Top 200 in England and Wales:

This rise continued through the 20th century. Leslie Dunkling's data for the number of girls registered with the name Rosalind in every 10,000 births in England and Wales, shows that the name peaked in usage during the 1950s and 1960s:

1900

1925

1935

1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

3

4

2

26

18

16

20

11

4

4

This peak coincides with a Hollywood seal of approval. Rosalind Russell was a famous elegant beauty of the screen, winning four Oscars and five Golden Globes.

Since 2000, Rosalind has had a fairly consistent birth count of between 20 and 35 births in England and Wales.

In 1996, 65 babies were given the name, ranking #455. By 2000 it was #701 (34 births), #912 (29 births) in 2004, #1135 (26 births) in 2008 and #1018 (35 births) in 2012.

In Scotland, Rosalind has had a birth count of between 1 and 3 each year since 2005. In 2013 it ranked #1013 with 2 births.

Comments

Rosalind is a form of the Old Germanic name Roslindis, derived from hros "horse" and lindi "soft, gentle".

Within the ancient Germanic tribes horses were status symbols, often reserved only for the nobility or for warfare. So revered were they, it was not unheard of for them to bury their horses, or even have their horses placed in state with them.

Over the years, there has been some confusion over Rosalind's etymology.

Firstly, the second element has often been taken to be linde "serpent" rather than lindi "soft, gentle". Some have also connected the first element to the Germanic hrod "fame" (found in Rodney and Roland) rather than hros "horse." Though the 'd' seems less plausible, there may be something in this. Legend records a 6th century Lombard queen named Rodelinda; her name would almost certainly be derived from hrod "fame" and lindi "soft gentle." She was the mother of Alboin who, with his wife Rosamund, was the source of infamous legend. It isn't clear, however, whether there is any connection between Rodelinda and Rosalind.

As the name became Rosalinda in Spain and Italy, it has also been connected with the phrase rosa linda which, quite coincidentally, means "beautiful rose" in both languages.

Usage:

Rosalind was in use in continental Europe in the Middle Ages, though examples are hard to come by. In Britain, one of the first examples of its use in is Edmund Spenser's The Shepheardes Calender, published in 1579, in which the protagonist is in love with "a countrie lasse called Rosalinde" [sic].

A decade later, Thomas Lodge's prose Rosalynde, Euphues Golden Legacie, printed in 1590, became the basis for Shakespeare's play As You Like It (first published in 1623) where one of the principle characters is the fiesty noblewoman Rosalind.

This seems to have been the springboard for the name's use. It was rare at first, but came into more regular use in the 18th century. It was, however, never especially common.

Data from the Surname Atlas (click to enlarge)

Data from the 1881 census (right) show that Rosalind was used especially in Middlesex, Surrey and Kent, with general use centred around Southern England. In total, it was recorded 492 times making it the 1046th most popular name (male and female combined). It was less common than similar Rosalie (584th) and Rosaline (1020th).

The birth registrations for Rosalind gradually increased each decade during the 19th century, but it was never enough to crack into the Top 200 in England and Wales:

This rise continued through the 20th century. Leslie Dunkling's data for the number of girls registered with the name Rosalind in every 10,000 births in England and Wales, shows that the name peaked in usage during the 1950s and 1960s:

1900

1925

1935

1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

3

4

2

26

18

16

20

11

4

4

This peak coincides with a Hollywood seal of approval. Rosalind Russell was a famous elegant beauty of the screen, winning four Oscars and five Golden Globes.

Since 2000, Rosalind has had a fairly consistent birth count of between 20 and 35 births in England and Wales.

In 1996, 65 babies were given the name, ranking #455. By 2000 it was #701 (34 births), #912 (29 births) in 2004, #1135 (26 births) in 2008 and #1018 (35 births) in 2012.

In Scotland, Rosalind has had a birth count of between 1 and 3 each year since 2005. In 2013 it ranked #1013 with 2 births.